B.C.'s well-paid university presidents

Don Cozzetto, former president of the University of Northern B.C., received more compensation last year than any other public servant in the province. Cozzetto quit UNBC last year – halfway through his five-year contract – because he was unhappy with government funding that had forced him to make cuts to staff and services.

Cozzetto pocketed $647,025.52 in severance, moving expenses, vacation payout and other expenses, according to a story by the Sun’s Jonathan Fowlie. Only a portion of his compensation was salary.

Four of the top 10 public-sector earners were university presidents: UBC’s Stephen Toope was #3 ($575,813), SFU’s president Michael Stevenson was #9 ($483,665.74) and UVic president David Turpin was #10 ($467,671).

I don’t have a big problem with the president of UBC making 575,000. 3167 FT faculty, 4612 non faculty full time employees, over 40,000 students, several campuses, including the UEL site, downtown Vancouver, and Kelowna. But I do have a problem with the president of the BC Pavillion Corp making more than 575,000. Now that is something that might be worth a story. JS responds: That’s an issue for another blog – that of Jonathan Fowlie. http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/capitaldiary/default.aspx